Despite a strong performance against the world number 9, Stan Wawrinka is out in the 3rd round of the Australian Open. The Swiss lost to the American Taylor Fritz 6:7 (5:7), 6:2, 4:6, 4:6.
24.01.2026, 10:33
24.01.2026, 10:43
SDA
On a day characterized by intense heat, Wawrinka had to admit defeat after almost three hours of fighting. The Frenchman demanded everything from Fritz in the fourth meeting between the two players, but in the end was unable to mobilize the strength that had carried him to victory in the five-set thriller against Arthur Gea two days earlier. Nevertheless, the fans in the John Cain Arena, the second-largest court at the venue, celebrated the 40-year-old on his last appearance in Melbourne. He had won the first of his three major titles at the Australian Open in 2014.
The third set proved to be the crux of the matter: Wawrinka initially fended off three set points in a row at 4:5 and with Fritz serving, and then earned a break point, which he was unable to capitalize on. The 1.96 meter tall American then served his way to winning the set and hardly conceded anything on his own service in the fourth round.
Despite his elimination, Wawrinka can be pleased with a successful tournament Down Under. Thanks to his two victories, he became the oldest player to reach the third round of a major tournament since Ken Rosewall did so in 1978 at the age of 44. Wawrinka will also make a leap forward in the world rankings - currently ranked 139th - and move closer to the top 100 he is aiming for. This would mean that he would be able to qualify for the upcoming Grand Slam tournaments on his own and would no longer have to rely on a wild card as he did in Australia.
With Wawrinka's elimination, the Australian Open enters its second week without Swiss participation.
